Crusade of the VioletEyed
by Starlight Eve
Summary: Callie Vallant is a VioletEyed, a superior human. When her parents and her are sold, Callie escapes and goes on a quest to free her parentsand the rest of the Violet Eyedforever. A Violet Eyes by Nicole Luiken fic.


Author's Note- I was looking through Fanfiction.net, seeing if there was any fanfiction for one of my favorite series, Violet Eyes and Silver Eyes by Nicole Luiken. I was sad to see there were one. I started writing this, but I didn't intend on putting it on Fanfiction.net until a few days ago. The full summary is below. I hope you enjoy this. Read and review!  
  
Summary- Fourteen year old Callie Vallant is alone and in serious danger. The daughter of two Renassiance children, wealthy governments and corporations will do anything to get to her, and her parents. For her entire life, Callie was protected by the UN from her persuers, with her family. When their identity is discovered, Angel and Michael are taken, and Callie escapes. Trusting no one, she sets out on a mission to free her parents. But she won't be alone. The only ones she can trust, the Violet- eyed, join her, ready to fight for their freedom and rights. A crusade. For their very lives.  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to Nicole Luiken and the Violet- Eyed people. I'm not getting paid.  
  
Crusade of the Violet-Eyed  
  
I, a young girl, quickly walked up the steps of the waiting aircar, my head down; my hood pulled up to avoid the rain that was pouring down. I was alone. The remaining passengers climbed on behind me, their eyes glancing at me and then looking away, registering me in their minds as just another passenger, going to the same destination.  
  
They didn't realize that the destination wasn't what was on my mind, it was what I was fleeing from.  
  
My name was Callie, and I was alone.  
  
A mother traveling with her family, a husband and two young children, occupied the seat beside me.  
  
"Hello," the woman said to me, whom I ignored, "Are you travelling alone?"  
  
I turned my head, "Yes."  
  
"Where are your parents?" the woman asked.  
  
Quickly, I made up a fib, something I could do in a breath, "With my grandparents. My grandmother is sick, and I'm going to meet them. They say she might die soon."  
  
The woman suddenly became more symphathetic, "Oh, I'm so sorry, dear. I hope everything turns out good."  
  
"So do I," I said bitterly, returning to gaze out the window of the aircar while it lifted off.  
  
During the ride, I couldn't help but glance over at the family a few times. The family seemed normal enough. There were two children, a little girl and boy. The little boy had auguments, I could see that from looking at him. More and more people were getting auguments. The family was normal, as normal as you could be. I wished for a normal family. But my parents were gone. My thoughts turned bitter, bitter to whoever had betrayed us for who we really were.  
  
It was an evening ride, from the north area of NorAm to the southern area, near the ocean, that went on into the night. I hadn't planned on going there, I truly didn't have a plan at all. But when I arrived at the depot, this was the next trip. Since it was going far enough away, I figured it would be good. Possibly, after this, I could get out of the country. Maybe go to the New Inca Republic, or to China, or somewhere.  
  
Anywhere but the place I left behind. They were waiting for me, looking for me. Now that they knew about me, I knew they wouldn't let me get away without a fight.  
  
Slowly, the people on the aircar fell asleep. I joined them, my mind blurred with the memories of that day.  
  
I had come home from school, to find the house surrounded by aircars, heavy, armored, aircars, the kind fugitives ride in. My first thought was my parents, probably home from their jobs all ready. I started running as fast as I could, which was fast, I was on the track team at my school, towards my house. Caution told me not to go in. I went to the living room window, instead, and ducked behind the shrubs, and looking in, hoping no one would see me.  
  
There were people talking, people that weren't my parents or anyone I knew.  
  
"Where are they?" the first voice asked.  
  
"They're coming in right now. They put up quite a fight," the second answered.  
  
The voices belonged to two men, both of whom were unknown to me. I remained in my hiding places. But it was hard when a few others entered the living room. It was Mom and Dad, held by a bunch of tough looking men.  
  
"You won't hold us, we'll RUN," Mom said, emphasizing the "run".  
  
Then I knew why. She'd seen me in the window, and wanted me to run. It was a message to me as much as it was a threat to her captors. I shrunk back down in the shrubs.  
  
I didn't want to leave Mom and Dad. But what good would I do them, captured like them?  
  
So, I crawled out from the shrubs, and ran, as fast as I could, away from the house and the aircars. No one stopped me. No one saw me.  
  
I didn't stop until I reached the depot, and quickly bought a ticket using my Identicard, and the charge account. By the next day, whoever was after us, would figure out that it was I who bought the ticket, and come after me, but at least it was putting some distance between me and them, and LA was a large city. I could alude them, at least for a while, while I figured out a way to get Mom and Dad out.  
  
So I bought the ticket, and sat down to wait.  
  
When I woke up, the aircar was landing. It was night, and other passengers were just waking up. I put my hand to my eyes, to make sure my colored contacts were in place, and then pulled my hood up before setting off down the steps at the depot. I disappeared into the crowd awaiting the passengers, blending in. No one took two looks at me. Which was exactly what I wanted.  
  
I left the depot, raking through my mind for someone who I might be able to hide with until the next day, when I could hopefully get an aircar out of the country.  
  
No one hit me.  
  
The streets were dark and not a very welcome place at night. I ducked into the nearest deserted doorway, and took out my palmtop, used for school, and hacked my way onto a general connection line, so I was off my own line, and thereforth, untracable.  
  
I searched for residence listings in LA, and then skimmed through the adress lists I received, until I found a name that was vaguely fimiliar.  
  
"Leona Hart."  
  
I remembered Mom mentioning someone named Leona Hart to Dad. I went back through my memories, desperately trying to remember the conversation. It had been only a month ago.  
  
Then, it hit me.  
  
"Mike, remember Leona?" Mom asked.  
  
"Of course, Angel," Dad answered.  
  
"Well, she got a name transfer, so she could be near Vincent. She's now Leona Hart," Mom said.  
  
Leona must be a friend of Mom and Dad's. Maybe she would help me.  
  
I downloaded directions to her house, and then followed them. I arrived at a small, pretty, beachside house. All the lights were off.  
  
Hoping she'd let me stay the night, I knocked on the door. A few seconds later, the light switched on, and there were footsteps. The door opened.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Standing in the doorway was a woman, with brown hair, slightly messed. It looked like she'd been asleep.  
  
"Hi. My name's Callie. I was hoping maybe you can help me," I said.  
  
An eyebrow arched on her face.  
  
"I think you knew my parents, Angel and Michael . . ." I started.  
  
But she didn't let me continue. Her other eyebrow arched as her eyes widened, and she opened the door wider.  
  
"Come in," she said, suddenly curious but cautious.  
  
I stepped into the house, and she shut the door behind me.  
  
"What did you say your name was?" she asked me.  
  
"Callie, Callie Summers . . . I mean Vallant," I corrected myself, reminding myself that "Summers" was not my real name, that "Vallant" was, and then asked, "Are you Leona Hart?"  
  
The woman nodded, "Yes, I'm Leona. Your parents are Angel Eastland and Michael Vallant?"  
  
"Yeah. Well, Mom's name is Angel Vallant now. They're married," I said.  
  
Leona's gaze went to my eyes.  
  
"Are you wearing contacts?" she asked me.  
  
I nodded, cautious, "Yes."  
  
"Please, take them out," Leona said.  
  
But I was cautious. My eyes could give me away. But something told me to trust her. I put my hand up to my eyes, and quickly took out the brown- colored contacts. My violet eyes met Leona's eyes.  
  
"Oh, God," she whispered.  
  
"Can I put them back in?" I asked, "I feel kinda weird without them there. I always wear them."  
  
Leona nodded, "Yes, put them back in, quickly."  
  
I did so, and when I was done, she said, "You said you needed my help. What do you need help with?"  
  
But I countered her with a question of my own, "Why did you have to see my eyes? Why do you think they're important?"  
  
"I had to see if they were violet," Leona said, sighing.  
  
"Why?" I countered, "Why are violet eyes so important?"  
  
Again, she sighed, "Don't you know the story about the violet-eyed children?"  
  
I nodded, "Yes, of course."  
  
"If it makes you feel any better, let me show you this," Leona said, and put her fingers to her eyes.  
  
A few seconds later, she was holding a set of blue contacts, and her violet eyes looked at me.  
  
"Are you convinced that I'm trustworthy?" she asked, slipping the contacts back in.  
  
I nodded, "You're a violet-eyed, too. Like my mom and dad."  
  
"Like you," Leona added, "Now, tell me, why do you need my help? What's going on?"  
  
I sighed, and said, "We were betrayed. They figured out who my parents are, and they came to get us. They got Mom and Dad, but I managed to get away. Can I stay here for the night? I'm going to go get them."  
  
"Impossible," she said, "You'd never get them out on your own. People underestimate the violet-eyed, but not that much. You're still young."  
  
I grinned, "Which is my most important card. They expect weakness from someone as young as me."  
  
"How old are you, Callie?" Leona asked.  
  
"Fourteen," I answered, "Young but very able."  
  
Leona nodded, "I know you're able, and I know they don't think you are, but you won't be able to get your parents back on your own. Maybe the UN can help you . . ."  
  
I shook my head, "How do I know it wasn't the UN who betayed us. No, I won't go to them unless I'm absolutely sure they have nothing to do with my parents being taken."  
  
"Do you know where they were taken?" Leona asked.  
  
"No," I answered.  
  
She thought for a moment, "Probably somebody who wants to employ a violet-eyed or a few violet-eyed. We sell high," she grinned, "So, they probably bought your parents."  
  
I shivered, "Bought. It makes them sound like cattle instead of people."  
  
Leona shrugged, "To them we're just things to be bought and sold, corporate slaves. Only to a few are we people. You can stay the night here, and in the morning, we'll figure something out. What do you plan on doing?"  
  
"Leave NorAm, they'll track me to LA by morning. I had to use my Identicard to get here," I said, "And then find Mom and Dad."  
  
Leona nodded, "Well, if you used your Identicard, they'll track you, without a doubt. Don't use it anymore. We'll find you some different colored contacts too, green, maybe blue. No brown anymore, they'll figure out that you use brown contacts. It might throw them off a little. We can dye your hair too, do as much as we can to change your appearance."  
  
My hand went to my long blond hair, messy since I hadn't cared for it since I left school so long ago.  
  
Leona led me through the house.  
  
"The bathroom's right here. I'll set up a bed for you on the couch while you wash up. Are you hungry?" she asked.  
  
I nodded; I hadn't eaten since lunch.  
  
"Okay, I'll bring you some food and drink," Leona said.  
  
"Thanks," I told her, "For everything."  
  
I shut the bathroom door behind me, and "washed" up. I took off my jacket, still wet from the rain, and ran a Cleancomb through my hair until it was shiny and grease-free. I washed my face, and used the toilet. I dug through my school bag. I had very little in it, most of my school supplies were on my palmtop. No extra changes of clothes, no money (I always used my Indenticard to charge), and no food.  
  
When I came out of the bathroom, Leona was waiting for me in the living room. There was a pillow and a few blankets on the couch. On a small coffee table in front of the couch was a tray with a glass of water and a sandwhich on it.  
  
"Here you go," she said, "I'll draw the blinds. No one will see you. You're safe here."  
  
"Thank you," I told her, again.  
  
She nodded, and then said, "I'll wake you up in the morning for breakfast. Try to sleep. Good night, Callie."  
  
"Good night, Leona," I told her.  
  
She left the living room, and I sat down on the couch. I drank the water, and ate the sandwich before sliding under the blankets, and falling asleep.  
  
I woke up the next morning, early. The house was silent, so I guess Leona wasn't awake yet. I got out my palmtop, and once again connected via the general connection, then looked over the headlines. There was nothing about Mom and Dad, not that I'd expected there to be anything.  
  
I wanted to check my messages, but I couldn't risk it. If I connected to my account, they'd trace me in a second, right to Leona's house. I couldn't blow Leona's cover, especially since I didn't even know her but she'd been nice enough to let me stay the night.  
  
There were footsteps, and the lights turned on. Leona appeared in sweatpants and a sweatshirt.  
  
"Good morning, Callie," she said, "Are you hungry?"  
  
I nodded, and got up, quickly rearranging the blankets into a neat, folded, pile. Then I followed her into the kitchen. She had shut all the drapes, and turned on the lights.  
  
"What do you want to eat? I have eggs and orange juice," Leona offered.  
  
I nodded, "That's fine."  
  
Leona started to make breakfast, while I sat down at the table, and watched her. Now that I was rested, a hundred questions were ready to burst.  
  
"Are you a friend of my parents?" I asked.  
  
"No," Leona answered, shortly.  
  
I was confused, and asked, "Then, how do you know them? Why did you let me stay here if you aren't a family friend."  
  
Leona sighed, "It's complicated, Callie. I know them because we fought together, once, against the leader of the Renaissance project, the man who was running our lives, and then we seperated. I met them once they joined the UN Protection Program, and haven't seen them since. That was years ago. So, no, we aren't friends. We're linked only by our orgin, that's it. That's why I'm helping you."  
  
Disappointed, I sat back in the chair.  
  
"Do you know who might have taken them?" I asked.  
  
She thought for a moment, and said, "No, but, after a few months, it'll be easy enough to find out."  
  
"A few months!" I cried, taken back, "I can't wait a few months! I need to know NOW!"  
  
Leona replied, "Whoever bought them must be powerful, and have access to a lot of money. Violet-eyed are expensive. They probably bought both your parents, since we sell in 'breeding packs', meaning the violet-eyed breed together to make more violet-eyed, like you. It could be a government, or a very powerful company."  
  
"That doesn't help. Leona, why did you say it was impossible to break them out when I asked you last night?" I asked.  
  
Leona took the first egg off the frying pan, and answered, "Because it is. There is too much you have to factor in. First you have to find out who took them. That is hard enough, right now, at least. And then you have to factor in if your parents will be able to help you."  
  
"Why wouldn't they help me?" I asked, angry, "I'm their daughter!"  
  
"Whoever bought them may use a Loyalty chip. Your parents were bought once before, before you were born. Your mother nearly killed your father because of her Loyalty chip. If whoever bought them this time may use a Loyalty chip. If they do, your parents won't recognize you, and will turn you in, and you'll end up just like them, the slave of the highest bidder," Leona said.  
  
I sighed, "I can't just leave them."  
  
Leona smiled, carrying over the plates of eggs, "I never said you would leave them. I said that you should use caution. I agree with you, you can't just leave them. But don't rush into anything. If what you said is true, then they'll have located you in LA now, and if they haven't, they will soon. But I think you'll be safe here for a little while, while we figure out who took your parents."  
  
"Thanks," I told her.  
  
She sat down, and while we ate, she said, "I think we'll find you some different contacts, some clothes. We'll dye your hair too. You have your mother's hair. Too recognizable."  
  
"Dye it?" I repeated, my hand going to my blond hair.  
  
Leona nodded, "Cut it, too. Shorter, I should think."  
  
I didn't say anything, and continued eating. The only thought that I could think of at the moment was that Mom made better eggs, but the moment I thought it, my stomach dropped. Mom wasn't here. Mom was gone; she might not even remember me.  
  
"Callie, are you all right?" Leona asked.  
  
I nodded, swallowing down the tears that were threatening to come out. I helped Leona clear the plates, and then the two of us went to the bathroom. Leona started digging through a closet, and came out with a package of Insta-Hair Color.  
  
"Is this good?" she asked.  
  
It was a shade of dark red, so much different from my light blond. But I didn't really have a choice. I nodded.  
  
"Okay, sit down," Leona said.  
  
The Insta-Hair Color worked a bit like a Cleancomb. You ran the Colorer through your hair, making sure it made contact with every singe strand, and then waited a few moments while it worked. Within minutes, my hair was a dark shade of red. Leona appeared with scissor, and quietly snipped my hair off, until it was short, reaching just below my ears.  
  
"And now, here's some blue contacts of mine. They're better than your brown," Leona said, and handed them to me.  
  
I slipped out my brown contacts, and put in the blue ones. I truly did look like a new person.  
  
"Why do you have all this stuff? Dye? Contacts?" I asked.  
  
Leona shrugged, "Just in case of an emergency and I have to quicky change identities. Like what you have to do."  
  
I sat back in the chair, looking over my hair in a mirror Leona handed me.  
  
"That should throw them off a bit. I'll take you to the store in a few minutes, get you some clothes," Leona said.  
  
I looked up, "I don't have any money."  
  
"Then I'll pay for a few outfits. They saw you wearing what you're wearing now. You can wear some of my clothes when we go out, but they'll be too big on you to wear them regularly. We have to change your name too, just verbally," Leona added.  
  
I stared at her. She was going to pay for my clothes. And now I needed a new name.  
  
"Any input?" Leona asked.  
  
I shook my head.  
  
"How about Annie. It's common enough," Leona said, "And, from now on, you're my distant neice who came to visit me, got it? Call me 'Aunt Leona', don't forget."  
  
I nodded, "I won't."  
  
Leona smiled, "Good. I'll go get you something to wear."  
  
"Thanks," I said.  
  
Leona left the room, and came back with a pair of blue jeans, a tee- shirt and zip-up sweater. I went into the bathroom and slipped them on. They were slightly too big, but I could deal with it for a day or so.  
  
I discarded my school uniform, which I had been wearing under my jacket, in my school bag, and then went back into the kitchen.  
  
Leona nodded, and said, "Okay, let's go."  
  
We walked out the front door, Leona verbally locking the house down. The two of us walked down the street, Leona occasionally waving to neighbors, shouting hellos, introducing me as her neice, Annie, to a few people.  
  
I watched, looking around for anyone that seemed out of place, a spy or someone meant to take me to whoever had taken my parents. But there wasn't anyone. I could tell Leona was doing the same thing, but nothing was out of place.  
  
But I didn't let myself relax yet.  
  
We went to a store, a simple, small, store. I picked out a few outfits, and Leona paid for them.  
  
We returned to Leona's house, uneventfully. I went into the bathroom to change while Leona did something on her palmtop. When I came out I was wearing a dark red shirt with a scoop neck and short sleeves, and a pair of dark blue jeans.  
  
I sat down opposite Leona at the kitchen table.  
  
"What are you doing?" I asked.  
  
Leona grinned, "Finding your parents."  
  
"You found them?" I asked, excited.  
  
Leona shook her head, "Not yet. But I should soon."  
  
I took out my palmtop, and asked, "Can I help? Do you want me to search anything?"  
  
Leona thought for a moment, and then nodded, "Sure, you can hack onto the database for a company called 'SilverDollar' for me?"  
  
"Yeah, sure, what should I look for?" I asked.  
  
"Look under budget and employee records," Leona answered.  
  
I did so, easily hacking my way on to the secret database, and onto the budget record. I then looked under employee record, and looked through the pictures of all the employees.  
  
"Mom and Dad aren't listed," I said.  
  
"Did you look under budget? They'd have to use company money to buy them," Leona suggested.  
  
I went back to the budget record, and looked over each section carefully. I was about halfway done when Leona looked up.  
  
"Found them," she said.  
  
I looked up, excited, "You did? Really?"  
  
"I'm pretty sure it's them," Leona said.  
  
"Where are they?" I asked.  
  
Leona shook her head, and shut her palmtop, "I'm not telling you."  
  
Shocked, I stared at her. Why wouldn't she tell me where my parents were? They are my parents.  
  
"Why not?" I asked.  
  
Leona answered, simply, "Because you can't fight the person that has them. Not without help. And if I asked you to wait, you wouldn't. You would run off in the night. Which is why I'm not telling you. You'll find out eventually."  
  
She was right, I had planned on running off in the night to get them if Leona wouldn't help me.  
  
"Leona, it's my mom and dad. I have to find them!" I cried.  
  
"We will," Leona replied.  
  
"Now!" I added.  
  
Leona stood up, and started to move around the kitchen, and then said, "Later."  
  
I sighed, and asked, "When can we go looking for them, then? We can't wait long! What if they use a Loyalty Chip?"  
  
"Not long, Callie. A few days, maybe. This afternoon, we're going to visit my brother, Vincent," Leona said.  
  
"Vincent?" I asked.  
  
Leona nodded, "Yes."  
  
I suddenly remembered something I had heard Mom and Dad say to each other, and had seen on Mom's arm, a scar.  
  
"Michelangelo."  
  
I grinned, "Leonardo da Vinci."  
  
Leona turned around, and looked at me, then nodded, "Yes, Leonardo da Vinci."  
  
"You were named after Renaissance people?" I asked.  
  
"Yes. They thought it fitting. Afterall, we're not homo sapiens sapiens. We're homo sapiens renascentia, a whole new subspecies," Leona answered.  
  
I raised my eyebrows, "Interesting."  
  
Leona sat back down, "You said you knew the whole story of the violet- eyed."  
  
"Yeah, parts of it. Mom and Dad hardly ever talked about it. I think we talked twice about it, once when I was younger, they made me promise not to take out my contacts because my eye color was very important, and might make a lot of people mad. Then, when I was twelve, they actually sat me down and told me that I was a violet-eyed, like them, and that it was very important that no one knows. They said we're physically and mentally superior, something about an Orphanage, and that we were greatly feared," I said.  
  
Leona opened her palmtop back up, and started going through something. She handed her palmtop to me. It was a newsarticle, with a picture of a violet-eyed baby at the top.  
  
"People did more than just feared us. They hated us, and tried to kill us. They managed to kill 32 of the 50 violet-eyed children in a fire, the Orphanage fire. We were all put in an Orphanage, to keep us 'safe'. It didn't do much good, it was more like a prision. Some terrorists set it on fire, and killed 32 of the violet-eyed children. Two more escaped during the fire. Four of us were sold off, and we haven't been able to locate them. The two that escaped managed to escape from their buyers. The 12 that remained of rest of us were put into Historical Immersion Projects, and raised thinking it was a complete other time. We had no privacy, and were taped at all times. Eight of those 12 escaped, leaving Vincent and I, and your parents. Vincent and I were in London, during the blitz. Vincent met a girl, and she got pregnant. Dr. Frank, the head of the Renaissiance project, took the baby, and was holding it as blackmail so we'd cooperate, and work for them. We did so for just over four months. Your parents helped us escape, and killed Dr. Frank," Leona explained.  
  
I gasped, "They killed someone?"  
  
Leona nodded, "He'd killed a lot of people to get what he wanted, and he nearly killed my brother, your parents, and me."  
  
I was silent.  
  
Leona stood, and said, "Well, let's go. Vincent doesn't live far away. It's only a fifteen minute walk."  
  
I stood up, and we left the house once again. Leona's brother lived the opposite way we'd walked before, and a bit further. I didn't mind the walk, it gave me another chance to look for people who might be looking for me. Yet again, there was no one.  
  
Leona led me to a house, and we waited for someone to open the door for us.  
  
A girl who looked slightly older than me opened the door. She smiled openly at us, opened the door wider.  
  
"Hi, Aunt Leona," she said.  
  
"Hi, Jaime, is your dad home?" Leona asked.  
  
Jaime nodded, "Yeah, he's talking with Fred at college. Come on in, I'll tell him you're here."  
  
She cast a curious glance at me, before letting us in. We stood in the hallway while Jaime walked into the next room.  
  
"DAD!" she shouted, "AUNT LEONA'S HERE!"  
  
"Is Fred the baby Dr. Frank blackmailed you guys with?" I asked.  
  
Leona nodded. Jaime appeared again.  
  
"Come on," she said, motioning to us.  
  
She led us through a doorway into a cozy room, with couches and a vidscreen. A man was sitting on one of the couches, the vidscreen remote in his hand.  
  
"Leona," he said when we walked in, "Very good to see you. Why didn't you call before you came? I would've had Jaime make us some food."  
  
Leona shook her head, "Where's Erin?"  
  
The man, who I figured was Vincent, shrugged, "She went to the store for some groceries. She doesn't like the idea of home delivery. Who's this?"  
  
Vincent motioned to me. I stepped forward (I had been standing behind Leona).  
  
"She reminds me of someone," Vincent said, as an afterthought.  
  
Leona smiled, "She should. Vincent, this is Callie, Mike and Angel's daughter."  
  
That remark shocked Vincent, even if only for a second. He stared at me, and then nodded.  
  
"Well, hello, Callie. I'm Vincent," he said.  
  
"Pleased to meet you," I said.  
  
Leona cut in, "Vincent, Callie's on the run. Someone found out about her parents, and bought all three of them. They caught Mike and Angel, but Callie managed to escape. I'm going to help her find them."  
  
Vincent went pale, "Do you think it was an inside source?"  
  
Leona shook her head, "I know it's not Dr. Hatcher. He's loyal to us, and he feels sorry for what we went through. But I don't think it's from the UN."  
  
"How do you know?" I asked, forcefully.  
  
Leona looked at me, and said, truthfully, "I looked it up. I hacked my way, and found out where the money was transferred from. The buyer sent the money directly to the Renaissance Project Director. The UN was not involved at all."  
  
"The Renaissance Project Director?" Vincent asked.  
  
"Yes. They must have located Mike and Angel prior to the sale, and then put them back on the market. The buyers found out, bought, and sent their men into take Mike, Angel, and Callie," Leona explained.  
  
She knew! She had started looking for Mom and Dad before we sat down at the kitchen table with our palmtops, and had only made me look to keep me busy!  
  
"They bought Callie, too?" Vincent asked.  
  
Leona nodded.  
  
Vincent looked at me, and then asked, "Do you have violet-eyes?"  
  
"Yeah. Do you want to see?" I asked.  
  
"Please," Vincent said.  
  
I took out the contacts Leona had given me. Jaime, who had sat down beside her father, gasped. Vincent stood up, and nodded.  
  
"The next generation of the violet-eyed is beginning. Fred, Jaime, Callie . . . there may be others, too," Vincent whispered.  
  
I looked at Jaime. Was she a violet-eyed, too?  
  
"How do you plan on getting them out?" Vincent asked.  
  
Leona grinned, "Deception and then siege."  
  
I put my contacts back in, and turned back to the conversation.  
  
Leona and I sat down on a couch opposite of Vincent and Jaime. Leona started talking about tactics on how to get Mom and Dad back. I listened carefully.  
  
"We have to do this, Vincent. A stand for the violet-eyed. Look at Jaime and Callie, think about Fred. If people found out about them, they'd be bought just like Angel and Mike. Remember 'We would rather be your friends than your enemies. Don't start a war you can't win'. Let's prove it right, Vincent. Let's do this, for the violet-eyed now and those to come. Show them we aren't going away," Leona said, "And we'll fight to stay alive."  
  
It was a very good war speech. I would have listened to it, and I could tell Vincent was starting to agree. Jaime was all ready bought.  
  
"Dad," Jaime reasoned, "Dad, let's do it. For the violet-eyed."  
  
Vincent looked at his daughter. I smiled. He was sold to our cause.  
  
"What do we need to do?" Vincent asked, looking back at his sister.  
  
"Contact the UN, tell them what happened. Callie, I'm sure they had nothing to do with this. Let's see if we can get the rest of the violet- eyed in with us. Make a spectacular showing. Be ready at noon tomorrow. We'll meet here," Leona said.  
  
Vincent nodded, "Done."  
  
"Good. Callie and I have to go. We have some preperations. We'll see you tomorrow," Leona said.  
  
Once we got back to Leona's house, I was grinning. Tomorrow, we were going to get my parents! I felt like I could sing!  
  
"Sleep," Leona ordered me, "Tomorrow's going to be a long day."  
  
I laid there for only moments before obeying her command, and sleeping.  
  
The next morning I woke earlier to Leona shaking me.  
  
"Callie, wake up," she said.  
  
I opened my eyes and looked around. Everything rushed back. We were going to get my parents back.  
  
"I'm awake," I told her, sitting up.  
  
Leona nodded, "Good. Get dressed. We have a lot to do before we leave."  
  
I grabbed a pair of clothes, and changed in the bathroom. I ran a CleanComb through my hair, and then went out to the kitchen.  
  
Leona was sitting at the table, looking over some things.  
  
"What are you doing?" I asked.  
  
Leona looked up, "I talked to Vincent. All the voilet-eyed have agreed to help us. It seems our battle is going to be a good one. One violet-eyed is the equal of a dozen soliders, and there's more than one of us. I'm making a plan on how to get in. We'll have to decieve our way in, get someone inside without raising alarms. It's safer that way. They'll have to find a way to disconnect all the security and get the rest of us in."  
  
"Fun," I said, and sat down opposite of her, "What else?"  
  
Leona continued, "Well, the plan isn't final yet, I'll have to pass it by everyone else first. But, it would be best to make sure the penetration person convinces the heads that they have the right to be there. If they sneak in, alarms could be set off, and that would be bad for all of us."  
  
"Who were you thinking?" I asked.  
  
Leona grinned, "You and Jaime."  
  
"Us?" I asked, unsure.  
  
Leona nodded, "I've been looking at employee records. It seems one of the most important men in the company has a 14-year-old daughter, just your age. I've done some hacking, and managed to get her stats. She's about your hieght, give or take a few inches, and, she has green eyes."  
  
I grinned in realization, "You want me to pretend I'm here and get in."  
  
"Yes. And bring Jaime. One violet-eyed is hard to beat, two violet- eyed is nearly indistructable. They will underestimate you both, in the case that you are caught. Which gives us the advantage," Leona explained, "Do you accept?"  
  
I nodded, "Sounds like fun. Deception, penetration, and then freeing."  
  
"Good. Come on, let's get you some green contacts," Leona said.  
  
It took us a few minutes, but we managed to find some green contacts, which I carried in a pouch in a purse that Leona had given me. We'd outfitted it with a few KnockOut patches, and a pepper spray.  
  
"Very useful," Leona explained, "It was big in the past, but it became less popular when KnockOut came around. I always keep a bottle around. Just because people don't use it doesn't mean it doesn't work. Spray in the eyes."  
  
I nodded, "Got it."  
  
Next, Leona called up an transportation company.  
  
"Yes, my name is Alexandra Carver. I would like to reserve an aircar for this evening. Is that possible?" she asked, smiling sweetly.  
  
"Ma'am, it may be hard. You waited until the last minute," the worker answered.  
  
Leona frowned, but then said, her voice still coated in fake sweetness, "I'm sure you could find a way. You see, it's my turn to host the family reunion, and, unfortunately, my house isn't the best place to have it. So I decided to take the family somewhere else, somewhere exciting, like New York City. I'm sorry I waited until the last moment. I've been so busy and stressed about this reunion. You know how it is."  
  
The worker was becoming swayed. I could see it in his face. I grinned to myself at how easy it was to convince people.  
  
"Well, I suppose I could find an aircar. How large does it need to be?" the worker asked.  
  
"Oh, just a medium sized. I don't have a large family," Leona said.  
  
Victory.  
  
The worker tapped on something, and found us an aircar.  
  
"Got one. May I ask a password to confirm your account?" the worker asked.  
  
Leona grinned, "Thank you so much. My daughter will be thrilled. She always wanted to see the north. A password? Hm. how about Retaliation? It's my favorite book."  
  
The worker nodded, and inputed the information.  
  
"Thank you," Leona said again, and turned off the videophone, and said to me, "Retaliation is the name of our battle. Retaliation about the world's treatment of the violet-eyed."  
  
I grinned, "Perfect."  
  
At noon, we went over to Vincent's house again. We both had a purse, stuffed full of money, KnockOut patches, and pepper spray.  
  
"Are you sure it's safe for us all to meet there?" I asked.  
  
Leona hissed, under her breath, "We aren't. Vincent enrouted a few of them to meet us along the way. We're only meeting a few of them at Vincent's house."  
  
When we arrived, Jaime let us in as usual. She grinned at me.  
  
"Ready, Callie?" she asked.  
  
"I was born ready," I answered.  
  
In the living room stood four people, two women and two men, besides Vincent.  
  
"This is Erin, my wife," Vincent said, pointing to the first woman, "And this is our son, Fred."  
  
Fred stood beside his mother, grinning.  
  
"I've always said we should do something like this. Show them we're not hesitating to fight for our rights," Fred said.  
  
"What rights? According to the majority of the population of the world we should have been sterilized or killed," the other woman said, "I'm Nicole, Nicki for short."  
  
"And that's what we're fighting to get," said the remaining man, "I'm Tom. You must be Callie. Vincent told all of us that you were the one who called for this crusade of sorts."  
  
I shrugged, "They took my parents. It's a deprivation that violates every single moral right. And they enslaved us, another moral violation. But I didn't call the crusade, I just wanted to get my parents back. Leona called for the crusade."  
  
"Well, whoever called for it did the right thing by doing it," Erin said, "Unfortunately, I'm not violet-eyed, and can't come. Sit down, all of you, we have a few minutes before you have to get to checkpoint one."  
  
We sat down, and Vincent filled us in.  
  
"There are 14 original violet-eyed that we know of. Angel and Michael have been sold, and taken. Michelangelo is gone. That leaves 12 of the original that can help. The other four are sold, too, and we don't know them. There are other violet-eyed who were not of the original Renaissance children, but children of the originals. Michael and Angel's daughter, Callie. My son and daughter, Fred and Jaime. There is also Nate, another teenager with Renaissance genes. There are only four of them old enough to fight. Altogether, there are 18 original violet-eyed, 14 that we know of, six are sold. Mixing old with new, there are 29 violet-eyed, five of whom are too young to fight. Erin is taking care of them, lying low until we've done what we're setting out to do," Vincent said.  
  
Twenty-nine violet-eyed people, twenty-eight if I didn't count myself.  
  
Leona looked at her watch, "We have to go. Erin, take care. Let's proceed to checkpoint one."  
  
Vincent kissed Erin goodbye. Erin hugged Leona and her children, and wished us luck. We set off.  
  
We walked to the aircar station. It wasn't a far walk. But as we passed "checkpoints" I realized what they were. When we passed a checkpoint, usually a crowded street or an alleyway, one more would join our number, swiftly and silently. No one pointed this out. It was all planned to go that way.  
  
When we reached the aircar station, there were 16 of us.  
  
Leona and I went up to the stationmaster.  
  
"Yes, hello, I'm Alexandra Carver. I reserved an aircar for my family reunion," Leona said.  
  
"Password?" the stationmaster asked, pressing buttons on his computer.  
  
"Retaliation," Leona answered, sweetly.  
  
The stationmaster looked up briefly, and then nodded.  
  
"Here's your card. Have a nice trip," the stationmaster said.  
  
Leona smiled, sweetly, and said, "Thank you, sir. Come on, Annie, let's go get Aunt Selena before she get's too worried."  
  
I grinned, and we walked over to the group. The sixteen of us headed to the aircar reserved for us. It was a large aircar, smaller than the one I'd taken to LA, which was more like a bus aircar than a rental. But it was definetely too big to be a normal every-day use aircar. We all got in, and Leona went to the cockpit while the rest of us sat down on the narrow benches.  
  
Everyone was silent. I glanced around me. There was a definite line between the two age groups. There were the original Renaissance Children, and then the second generation, my generation.  
  
There was a slight bump when the aircar left the ground, and, since I was sitting close to the cockpit, I could hear Leona putting it on autopilot.  
  
The cockpit door slid open, and Leona walked out.  
  
"We're enroute to West Berline, just outside of New York City," Leona announced, "And it doesn't look like we're being tracked. So far, the plan is going great."  
  
There was a definite air of relaxation at that comment.  
  
"As you all have been told, we're on a mission to rescue two of our own, Michael and Angel Vallant. This is a stand for our rights, not as violet-eyed, but as humans. Because we ARE humans. And slavery was outlawed by the UN many years ago, and that's what this is, slavery.  
  
"Here's the plan. We're going to split into small groups, which I'll announce later. Each group is going to be assigned a position we're they will wait until the signal. Meanwhile, Callie, Michael and Angel's daughter, and Jaime, Vincent's daughter, are going to penetrate the system. Callie is going to pose as the daughter of Harold Carper, President in Charge of Operations. Jaime will pose as her best friend. Somehow, they will gain enterance and find the control room. They will begin some sort of distraction, and, in the confusion, turn off the security. They will shut the power off for a mere second, no more, and that is your signal. You are to penetrate your stations. Group 1 is to make their way to Harold Carper's office and demand he release Michael and Angel, because if we rescue them it's no good if he doesn't release them. Group 2 is to make their way to Central Intelligence and destroy all information about or pertaining to the violet-eyed. Group 3 and 4 are to set up a perimeter around President Carper's office. No one except us is to enter. Group 5 is to find Michael and Angel, release them, and bring them to President Carper's office. Callie and Jaime are to lock the control room doors so that only we can enter if need be, and then come to President Carper's office. For all groups, upon final penetration, all colored contacts are to be removed. They will underestimate us, but not by much. However, we want them to know who they are fighting, for the sake of the crusade," Leona explained.  
  
Everyone nodded, and Jaime gave me a worried glance.  
  
"I have a suggestion about the needed distraction," someone said once the groups and stations were distributed.  
  
Leona nodded, "Tell us."  
  
"I have a miniature bomb with me. It won't cause much damage, but it will be enough to confuse them while Callie and Jaime take care of the security. If we set it off in just the right place, away from the stations of penetration, the guards would flock there, giving us an easier way to get in. And, the power flicker would seem natural," the person explained.  
  
Everyone agreed, and the miniature bomb, which fit in the palm of my hand, was given to Jaime and I, and we were told how to activate it.  
  
"All right," Leona said to me, "Callie, you are going to pretend to be Harriette Carper, Harold Carper's 14-year-old daughter. You probably should put in your contacts now."  
  
I nodded, and did so. Soon, Jaime and I were left alone, and we planned our "background".  
  
"I'll be Sarah Smithson," Jaime said, "Very simple, very normal name. We've been best friends for, how long?"  
  
I thought, "Four years."  
  
"Four years. Good. I did a bit of research on Harriette Carper. She's an only child, so I think it's safe to play snotty, spoiled-brat who lives of Daddy's money. That good with you?" I asked.  
  
Jaime nodded, "And I'm the head of the posse, also a snotty, spoiled brat who will do anything you say."  
  
"Great," I agreed.  
  
I looked out the aircar window, and sighed. Mom, Dad, we're on our way. Hold on, just for a little while longer. We're coming.  
  
The ride was long, across NorAm. Leona lowered the aircar a mile away from the compound of buildings that was the company where my parents were. We walked the rest of the way, which wasn't hard. I could run a mile in a very short amount of time, and speedwalking was just as easy.  
  
We reached the compound gates, and everyone moved to their stations, out of camera shot.  
  
"Ready?" Leona asked us.  
  
We nodded.  
  
"Go get 'em," Leona whispered, and moved towards her own group.  
  
I ran my fingers through my hair, checked my contacts, and put on my best snotty-brat face. Mom loved to act, and Dad liked it to. I could summon up any face within seconds, and I could throw myself into a sobbing tantrum in less than thirty seconds.  
  
This was nothing.  
  
Jaime grinned, and threw on the face that was perfect for her.  
  
I walked to the gates of the compound, sleek, metal gates obviously meant for decoration.  
  
"I can't believe the driver just dumped us like this. Daddy will be SO mad when I tell him," I said, flippantly to Jaime, making my voice a pitch higher than usual.  
  
"I know, I can't believe it either. He just dumped us like we were trash," Jaime said, pitching her voice higher, and flipping her hair.  
  
I had made sure our comments were in complete earshot of the gate guards. I walked up to their booth, strutted, actually, and leaned on it.  
  
"Hello?" I asked in an annoyed voice, "I need to get in."  
  
The guards looked at us.  
  
"And who are you? Where's your ID?" the guard asked.  
  
I looked shocked and annoyed, and asked, "Don't you know who I am? Honestly! People these days! Wait until, I tell Daddy that the gate guards wouldn't let his daughter in. I'm Harriette Carper. Don't you recognize me?"  
  
Jaime's face echoed my own. Perfect.  
  
The guards were jummbled. My acting was good.  
  
"We're very sorry, Miss Carper," the guard said, jumpy.  
  
I raised an eyebrow, and turned on my heel before walking through the opening gate. Jaime followed me.  
  
"People these days. Honestly, Sarah, a person can't even walk into their father's own company without getting stopped," I said.  
  
Jaime nodded, "It's a crime, really, Harriette."  
  
I looked over the buildings as we continued our strut. There was one building, built in a square with a courtyard. It was huge, but there was only one floor. No problem.  
  
We walked in through the main door.  
  
The secretary had obviously not been informed about our arrival, which was good. She looked up when we entered.  
  
"Who are you, and what's your buisness here?" she asked me, in a casual tone.  
  
"Honestly," I said to Jaime, and rolled my eyes before turning back to the secretary, "I'm here to see my father. He promised me I could bring my friend here and that we'd go out to dinner after."  
  
The secretary asked, "Who's your father?"  
  
"Don't you recognize me?" I shreiked, "I'm Harriette Carper, you twit!"  
  
The secretary was too shocked to think otherwise, and said, "Yes, yes, of course, Miss Carper. You're father is currently. in a meeting, I'll tell him you've arrived with your friend."  
  
"That's not too smart of you. You know how Daddy gets when he's interruppted during a meeting. Sarah wants to see the layout. I'll meet him in his office. He knows I'm coming," I said.  
  
The secretary nodded, "Yes, of course."  
  
I smiled at her, a snotty smile, and said, sweetly, "Good. And if you think that outfit works for you, you're wrong. I'll put in a good word for you with Daddy. I heard someone's looking for a private secretary. I can't remember if it was the Vice President or not."  
  
The dazed secretary nodded, "Thank you, Miss Carper."  
  
"Come on, Sarah," I said, and the two of us walked off.  
  
Once we were out of earshot, I whispered, "Where should we put the bomb?"  
  
"Near the enterance," Jaime whispered, "They'll think we're trying to get in."  
  
I nodded, and, casually, dropped the tiny bomb in a corner as we walked down the hallway. Hidden in a fake plant, you couldn't even see it. Perfect.  
  
We explored for a little while, holding the snotty-brat façade as we walked down the halls. Finally, I saw a sign on a door, reading "Control Room."  
  
"Here's where Daddy says everything's run from," I said, "Wanna see?"  
  
Sarah nodded, "Sure. Why not? It could be cool."  
  
I pressed the button to open it, and the camera pivoted to face us. I pressed the intercom to get in.  
  
"It's Harriette Carper. I'm bringing my friend on a tour, and Daddy said we could see the Control Room. Let us in," I said.  
  
The door flew open, and we walked in. The operators were surprised to see us.  
  
"Miss Carper, what a pleasure," one of them said.  
  
I looked at the blinking computer screens and cameras and operations. Then I looked at the operators. There were four of them. No big.  
  
"Oops," I said, dropped my purse.  
  
I reached down to get it, and swiftly took four KnockOut patches out, and put them in my hand.  
  
Jaime was introducing herself.  
  
"Sarah Smithson, Harriette's best friend. I've heard so much about this place. It must be SO boring to work in here, and stare at computer screens all day," Jaime said.  
  
I peeled off the covers, and, as I shook the hands of each men, placed one in each of their hands. Ten seconds later, all four men were on the floor.  
  
I stepped over them, and said to Jaime, "Easy enough. Lock the door."  
  
Jaime did so, and then joined me at the seats.  
  
"Ready to set off the bomb?" I asked.  
  
Jaime nodded, and took the detenator out of her pocket. She grinned at me, and I got ready to shut off the security and flick the power. The bomb was set off, and the quake was sent through the entire compound. In the seconds that followed, I shut off the security and flicked the power. The plan was going perfectly.  
  
I watched in the cameras as people ran about, completely oblivious to the fact that the security was down and then saw the violet-eyed run to their positions. Great.  
  
"Allright," I said, typing quickly, "I've locked the codes, so no one can fix the security without a password. Can you figure out how to lock the door?"  
  
Jaime nodded, "Working on it right now. I've nearly broken the code they had on it, so that we need a password to get in."  
  
I grinned, typing quickly.  
  
"There," I said, "The password's 'Retaliation'. Got it?"  
  
Jaime nodded, "Same here. Okay, ready to get out of here?"  
  
"Yeah. Let's get these contacts out first, let them know who they're dealing with," I said.  
  
We took out our contacts, so our violet eyes burned with full strength. I grabbed a bar to use as a weapon if need be, and Jaime matched it. We opened the door, and shut it behind us, zinging into place, and locking.  
  
"The offices are probably up there," Jaime said, pointing down a carpeted hallway.  
  
I nodded, and we started running, being careful to avoid everyone we saw. We took our best educated guesses, and ran down the hallways.  
  
"Callie, Jaime!"  
  
It was Nikki, part of the group that was forming a sheild.  
  
"Nikki. Where's the office?" I asked.  
  
Nikki pointed, and asked, "Is everything set with you guys?"  
  
"Yeah," I answered, "Thanks."  
  
We ran to the door where Nikki pointed, and opened it.  
  
It was a richly carpeted office, decorated with scultures and paintings. Behind a huge wooden desk, polished to oblivion, sat a man in a suit. Mr. Carper.  
  
Leona stood beside him, pointing a gun at him. The rest of her group was there, and the permeter groups had done their job.  
  
"Callie, Jaime, did you do it?" Leona asked.  
  
We nodded. Mr. Carper looked up at us, and then looked at me.  
  
"Callie? You're Callie Vallant!" he cried.  
  
I nodded, "Give the man a prize. And give me my parents."  
  
"You're my property! I paid for you!" Mr. Carper shouted.  
  
I glared at him, and shouted back, "I'm NO ONE'S property, you imbicile. I'm a human being. Slavery was outlawed by the UN a long time ago."  
  
"You aren't human! None of you are!" Mr. Carper protested.  
  
Leona poked him with the gun, and hissed, "Shut up. We're just as much human as you are."  
  
Mr. Carper was scared into silence.  
  
"Where's my parents?" I asked Leona.  
  
"On their way," Leona answered.  
  
Mr. Carper spoke again, "They can't leave! They're MINE! I paid for them!"  
  
Leona poked him again, "Do you want your brains splattered across this nicely carpetted room? No? Shut up!"  
  
He was silent again.  
  
The door opened and Group 2 walked in.  
  
"All the information on the violet-eyed are destroyed," they reported.  
  
Leona nodded, "Good. Now we're just waiting for Michael and Angel. They won't be long."  
  
Sure enough, a moment later, the door opened and Group 5 walked in, followed by my parents. They were unharmed, if not for a few bruises and cuts, and in different clothes, but they were still my parents.  
  
"Callie?" Mom asked.  
  
I grinned at them, "Mom, Dad."  
  
Mom and Dad each hugged me, and Dad said, "I should've known you'd be part of this thing."  
  
"It's all the free violet-eyed," I said, "All of us. Isn't it great? This is our crusade against the treatment of the violet-eyed."  
  
Mr. Carper spoke again, "You aren't leaving. I bought you. I paid good money for the three of you. You aren't leaving."  
  
"Oh, I think otherwise. I think you're going to sign a contract that says they are free and will never be bothered by you anymore," Leona said, and nodded to Tom, who was in her group.  
  
He carried a piece of paper over to Mr. Carper. It said that Mom, Dad, and I were no longer owned by him, and he wouldn't bother us any more, except with bigger words.  
  
Mr. Carper glared at it.  
  
"Do it," Leona said, "Do it or I will shoot. I've killed for my freedom before. I'm not scared to do it again."  
  
Actually, it had been Mom, Dad, and Vincent who'd killed someone, but he didn't need to know that.  
  
Mr. Carper took his pen, and, with a final hesitation and poke from Leona, signed.  
  
"Good boy. Now, we're going to walk out of here. If you send your goonies after us, we'll fight them. And do you want to see what happens when you pit your little guards against the violet-eyed?" Leona asked.  
  
Mr. Carper was silent.  
  
Leona nodded to us, and we all started to walk out, Mom's arm wrapped tightly around me.  
  
Leona was the last to leave, her gun still pointed at Mr. Carper when the door shut.  
  
Mr. Carper was smart, the guards didn't chase after us. And we walked right out the front door, glaring at anyone we saw.  
  
Once we reached the inside of the aircar, everyone was very happy with our victory. Mom and Dad hugged me again.  
  
"I couldn't just leave you," I told them, once I'd told them the whole story, "We're a family. Besides, you would've come after me."  
  
Mom laughed, and hugged me, "Of course we would've. Callie, we love you so much."  
  
I grinned, "I know you do. I love you both, too, I suppose."  
  
The three of us laughed.  
  
"Of course, we all know it's not even close to being over," Mom said.  
  
I nodded, "But I'm ready to finish what we started."  
  
Three months later, I stood beside Mom and Dad in front of the UN assembly. Around us stood all the violet-eyed who'd fought that day. The little ones were in the back, with Erin.  
  
We were ready to make our final plea.  
  
Leona, our elected speaker, stood at the podium in front of us, a piece of paper in her hand.  
  
"We, the people called Renaissance children, the Violet-eyed, and Homo Sapiens Renascentia, are here to protest the treatment of the Violet- eyed. Since we were born, we have been imprisioned, studied, and forced to do things we did not want to do. Once we were proven to be 'superior', we were sold off to the highest bidder, sold into slavery we could not escape.  
  
"The UN outlawed slavery years ago. Yet they turn their heads when the wealthy purchase a violet-eyed and are forced to work for them. That, by definition, is slavery.  
  
"You may argue that it can not be slavery because we are not humans. We are human, just the same as you are. We are still Homo Sapiens. We are of the same species. We think, we feel.  
  
"Imagine your family being torn from you and sold to an invisible face so you can never see them again. That is what happens to us. Our rights are constantly violated. The UN offered to protect us at one time, but their protection has failed us.  
  
"All we ask is that the sold violet-eyed are returned, and our rights as humans are respected. Long ago, a very wise men said that every man had the rights to three things, 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness'. We have neither. Our lives our spent in fear of being caught and sold, of being seperated from those we love. Our liberties are not allowed, we can not leave our households without wearing colored contacts for fear that people would kill us. We have no freedom. As for happiness, how could you be happy when every moment you fear for your life and the life of those you love? A long time ago, a great war was fought over these words, and what we have done is to remember that war, and start our own battle, for our own rights.  
  
"People live in fear of us because of who we are. We did not have the choice to be who we are anymore than you did. We do not want to destroy you. We do not want to take over the world. All we want is to live. Is life such a hard thing to come by?"  
  
Leona cleared her throat for our finally request.  
  
"We request that all the violet-eyed sold into slavery are returned with the chance to live their lives, and that we are respected as humans, and are allowed to live freely. Is that truly too hard to give us?"  
  
She stepped back, signalling that our speech was over, and opening the ground to Q&A. I looked out of the corner of my eye at Mom and Dad, standing side by side behind me. No one was wearing colored contacts, and everyone was wearing respectable suits (dress suits for the women).  
  
The questioning started.  
  
"Do you admit that you are superior to us?" a man called out.  
  
Leona stepped forward, "We did not have the choice to chose who we were, so I think that an unfair question."  
  
"Yes, but do you admit that you are superior?" he persisted.  
  
Leona nodded, "Yes, we do."  
  
"Then why should we give you anything?" someone else shouted.  
  
Another man asked, "If you could chose, would you chose to be who you are?"  
  
"I also think that unfair, since people can not chose who they are born as. We had no more choice than you did," Leona said.  
  
Someone else called out, "You attacked a corporation! You are dangerous!"  
  
"We are not dangerous, we merely wanted to take back what was ours and reunite a family that was pulled apart by this horrid act," Leona said.  
  
My family, I burned.  
  
The first man spoke again, "You claim you are human, and yet you admit, you are not of the same subspecies."  
  
I stepped forward, burning with anger, and shouted to them, "Look at us! We have skin! We have bones and blood! If you cut us we will bleed! If you tear our hearts from us we will die! How can you claim that we are not human?"  
  
"Yes," the first man said, "But if you cut an animal they will bleed, and we sell animals."  
  
"Can animals think, cry, or speak out against their mistreatment? If they could, would you listen? You are scared of what you are not fimiliar with! That is what this is all about! Do not be scared of us! We do not want to cause pain! Animals, also, are allowed to be free, in the wild. Yet we are not. Do not compare us with animals. You do not compare yourselves with animals. Why should you do it to us?" I shouted.  
  
Mom pulled on my shoulder, "Callie, calm down."  
  
I stepped back, and whispered, "Sorry, Mom, but I had to. They were making me so angry. How could they think like that?"  
  
Mom squeezed my shoulder, and looked back up.  
  
"Do you see, the violet-eyed show emotion in the same way we do. They were, in the beginning, and still are, completely innocent. The UN failed them once before, let us not do it again!"  
  
I looked up to see the supportive face, to find a man that I didn't know, but Mom did. It was Dr. Thatcher, who had set up the Protection Program for us.  
  
His comment caused a lot of whispering and movement among the representatives in the room.  
  
"All we ask," Leona said, "Is that our rights are not compromised. We do not want to cause harm, but we will go to all costs to get our rights back. But we do not want to cause harm. We do not want to sacrifice innocents."  
  
Mom shouted out to them, "Imagine looking at your child, and knowing that they will never have the chance to live a normal life and, for as long as they live, they will have to keep looking over their shoulder to make sure they are not being followed. Imagine knowing that your child will never have the chance to live!"  
  
That seemed to reach many of the hardened representatives who were parents. I could see them remembering their own children, and letting Mom's words soak in.  
  
A vote on the matter was called, and Leona stepped back to stand with the rest of us, holding our breaths and praying all will go well.  
  
The vote was tallied. The victorious were the violet-eyed supporters. Mom and Dad hugged me, and we all rejoiced in our win.  
  
That evening, in our hotel room in New York City, I used the Vidphone to call my best friend, Val Stewarts.  
  
When she came onto the screen, she was surprised to see me.  
  
"Callie! I . . . I can't believe it's you! We just saw you on TV. I'm still in shock. I can't believe you're a violet-eyed. My mom always told me never to trust them, that you wanted to take over the world!" Val cried.  
  
I laughed, "We don't want to take over the world, Val. We just want to live in it. You don't believe her, do you?"  
  
Val laughed, and shook her head, "'I used to. I wouldn't've if I'd known who you were. You're too nice to want to take over the world. But I still can't believe it. Did you really sneak into a business and crash their system."  
  
"I had to, they took my parents," I said.  
  
"I understand," Val told me, "And I think my mom will change her mind once she gets over her initial shock. We watched you on TV, everyone did."  
  
I frowned, "We were on TV?"  
  
"Of course! Everywhere! They were showing it, live, in Times Square! Everyone was watching. And those that didn't are wishing they did. It's all anyone's talking about, especially here. No one can believe your family were violet-eyed. Are you coming back?" Val asked.  
  
I shrugged, "I dunno. There's still so much to be settled. The UN's promised to demand the release of all the sold violet-eyed, find who was behind Mom and Dad's kidnapping, and protect us so we can go on with our lives. I'll never have to wear contacts again, I hope. You know, I was so used to wearing them, they felt weird when I took them out, but I like it better without them."  
  
Val laughed, and said, "Well, I hope you come back here."  
  
I grinned, and whispered, "Me too. I just want to be able to live my life, that's all. I just want to live. No one really understands that we never lived before, and if we did, it was in fear. So this will be great. I'll finally be able to live."  
  
A/N- that's it. A short, one chap, thing. I'm thinking of a sequel, which will hopefully have more than one chapter. Look for it soon, I hope. I hope you enjoyed this. Review, please! 


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